


Heroes of Light, Sons of Apollo

by FriendlyFelony



Category: Kingdom Hearts, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Twins, Cloud is Chill Dad, Domestic Fluff, Entirely Self-Indulgent, Fluff, Gen, If you can't handle me at my demigod existential crisis, In Which Sora and Roxas Get a Loving Family: A Series, Kinda?, Liverpepper's Kingdom Hearts Fanverse, M/M, Overpowered Boys Seek Friends who are Also Overpowered, Son of Aphrodite Squall, Son of Athena Cloud, Sons of Apollo Sora and Roxas, Squall is Peak Dad Energy, and possibly other words, big boy language, excessive use of ludicrously-sized weapons, in that it's also pjo, like similar to liverpepper but also not, they say the bitch word, you don't deserve me at my wholesome brother moment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:41:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23130382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendlyFelony/pseuds/FriendlyFelony
Summary: Sora and Roxas had already come to terms with the strangeness in their lives.  They had never really known any other way, so it didn't occur to them that there was something inherently different about them.  Sure, their dads prayed to the ancient gods.  Yeah, weird things happened around them that no one could ever explain.  Sometimes monsters attacked, and their fathers turned them into gold dust.  It was their normal.But as it turns out, it really isn't normal, and neither are they.  No matter how much Squall and Cloud try to protect them from the cruel truth of their parentage, the Fates cannot be influenced by mortal means.  It's time for them to embark on their own adventure in a world they had only ever dreamed about with other people like them.It's time for them to be the heroes.
Relationships: Squall Leonhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17





	1. In Which Twin Brothers Lead Completely Normal Lives

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm transferring this fanfic over from Fanfic.net, because I like the format of AO3 better. I hope y'all enjoy this :)

Squall Leonhart knew what he was signing up for when he adopted the boys. He had been a part of that world his entire life, and he knew that things would only get harder and more complicated if he adopted the kids. Nevertheless, with the approval of his boyfriend, Cloud Strife, he took the twins in. Between the two of them, they would be safe from any threat. The boys had been orphaned at infancy, their mother apparently having died in childbirth. Their old mentor had contacted them when he got word of this from the boys’ father, asking for them to take the boys in. Their father couldn’t raise them, something the young men knew all too well. The damned ancient laws made that very clear, and he had enough to deal with already. Still, Squall had wanted to raise kids someday, and while it was earlier than he expected, he wouldn’t trade his boys for the world.

  
Sora and Roxas Strife-Leonhart grew up like any normal boys. They had loving parents who made sure they were taken care of, and a supportive extended family. The issues cropped up when it came to anyone outside their close-knit family. At school, the boys always seemed to get into trouble. In the third grade, Roxas had accidentally set a live oak on fire. No one knows how an eight-year-old managed to do that, but there was no one else who could have done it, so of course, the boy was blamed for it. He and his brother were expelled from the school shortly after. Sora had caused at least three school computers to explode, each one causing another expulsion. The two were bullied mercilessly for a while. Some of their bullies fell ill, and ended up having to drop out of school because of their failing health. Others ended up with horrible sunburns. Still others were plagued with terrifying nightmares. At some point, people stopped interacting with the boys altogether, for fear of what would happen if anyone interacted with them. Tack on debilitating dyslexia and ADHD and you have yourself a trademark pair of troubled kids.

  
They had transferred to a new school recently, a boarding school for troubled children. It was called St. Bernadette’s Disciplinary Academy. Their fathers hated to send them to such an establishment, but it was the only school that would accept them, and both men held full-time jobs. Neither was a very good teacher, so homeschooling was out of the question. They would have enlisted one of their friends, but for one thing, they didn’t want to burden their friends, and for another, they couldn’t in good conscience put their friends through that. The boys were magnets for trouble, and not just the normal kind that young boys often find themselves in. They attracted all manner of supernatural monsters. More than once did Squall and Cloud thank their abilities that they had learned as teenagers. They had been forced to kill several mythological monsters ever since their kids turned five. Of course, the couple had been attacked before adopting, but after taking in the kids, the attacks more than doubled. It was something that concerned both parents more than they would like to admit. Recently, the attacks had been getting worse. They knew what that meant, although they didn’t want to believe it. They agreed to spend as much time with their children as they could before they inevitably were forced to send them to a place where they’d be safe.

Sora rarely found himself looking forward to school. He never really fit in, he always caused trouble, and he wasn’t good at it anyway. He hated that he and his twin were treated as if they had some kind of disease, although Sora acknowledged that they might as well. Anyone who messed with the boys was rumored to be cursed, and their reputation preceded them to this new school. Almost no one was willing to interact with them. Almost. They had made one friend so far at their new school, a kid named Giles Moscato. He had some sort of muscular disease and had to walk on crutches, but he didn’t seem afraid of the brothers and was incredibly friendly. The two appreciated that a whole lot.

It was another usual day for the brothers. Sora woke up first, got ready, then woke up his twin, who whined about having to get up but rose anyway. Both boys had always risen with the sun, no matter how annoying it was, at least in Roxas’ opinion. The boys got dressed and ready and went out to the kitchen, where their father was cooking breakfast.

  
“Morning, Pa,” Roxas greeted quietly, leaning against Cloud lazily before plopping down at his spot at the breakfast bar. Sora pulled Cloud into a big hug, and greeted him more enthusiastically.

  
“Mooorning Pa!” he cheered, pressing his face into Cloud’s back for a moment before going to take his spot next to his brother.

  
“Morning, boys,” Cloud greeted with a soft smile. “Sleep okay?” Both boys nodded, Sora more enthusiastically than his twin. Squall chose that moment to enter. He kissed Cloud good morning, and turned to his adopted sons.

  
“Hey guys,” he greeted, patting each boy on the head affectionately as he passed the bar on the way to the coffee pot.

  
“Morning, Dad,” the twins responded in unison. He got his coffee and settled next to Roxas, lazily sipping at his drink as he checked his phone. Cloud served each of his three boys breakfast, which was gratefully devoured. As soon as the twins were done, they brought their plates to the sink.

  
“Thanks for breakfast, Papa,” Sora spoke, giving his father another quick hug before running off to grab his schoolbag. Roxas simply nodded at his father, who nodded back and ruffled his hair. Roxas groaned and pushed his hands away, trying to fix his hair back to the way it had been before. He smiled at his dad despite the fact that he had ruined his hair and followed his brother to get his stuff. The two shortly left to catch the bus. Squall stood and took Cloud’s hand.

  
“That satyr’s been following them around, you know,” Squall informed his husband. Cloud sighed, leaning against the bar.

  
“Yeah,” he responded simply. He looked down at his feet. He knew fully well what that meant. They both did. Squall sighed and wrapped an arm around him. He had to make a call.

The trip to school was fairly uneventful, except for the fact that they had a new bus driver. It was a woman the boys had never seen before. None of the other kids seemed to notice, however, so they didn’t mention the change. They did hear hissing, though, which was odd, but they chose to ignore it. They met up with Giles at the front of the school.

  
“Hey guys,” he greeted, waving at the twins. “How’s it going this morning?” The two looked at each other and shrugged.

  
“It’s fine,” Sora answered him. Roxas nodded. The three made their way into the building, making small-talk on their way.

  
Throughout the day, the boys had seen the strange new bus driver far more than they had expected. She was peering at them in the halls between classes, watching them at lunch, and following their every move during gym class. It was starting to freak them out.

  
“Rox, did you notice…”

  
“Yeah, she…”

  
“Yeah.”

  
The two each glanced at the other, and resolved to tell their dads when they got home. Giles had caught on to their unease.

  
“Hey, is everything okay?” The boys didn’t want to trouble their only friend with this kind of thing. It could very well scare him off.

  
“Everything’s fine, we just stayed up way too late last night,” Roxas lied. Giles didn’t look convinced, but that wasn’t surprising. Neither twin was good at lying. Still, he didn’t push the issue.

  
“Okay, but you know that if anything happens, you can tell me, right?” The twins had nodded, mostly to make their friend feel better. If he knew half of the things that had happened to the brothers, he’d likely join the ranks of people who pretended that they didn’t exist.

  
Later that day, right before the two boarded the bus, the driver approached them.

  
“Excuse me, boys, but may I have a word with you?” she requested sweetly. They had a bad feeling about it, but they followed the woman anyway. They were big on respecting authority, and even though this lady was just a bus driver, she was an adult, and the boys were going to listen. They let her lead them to an empty classroom. She drew the blinds and locked the door. By this point, the sound of hissing was almost deafening. The twins stood close together, knowing by then that something was very wrong.

  
“You two smell absolutely delectable,” the woman hissed at them. “Fresh young demigods, unarmed and unaware of what they are. You’ll make for a lovely meal.” With that, she pounced.


	2. Uh Oh Sisters

Sora and Roxas stood helplessly, backed up against the wall, and tried their best to put on a brave face for the sake of the other. Their fathers had always been so unshakable when facing threats like this, so they were going to be, too, although they didn’t have the weapons or incredible skills that their guardians had. The being before them (an empousa, if they remembered right) seemed amused at their firm resolve.

“I hope you put up a good fight,” she purred menacingly. “It’s no fun when they just lie still and die.”

Sora pushed a silent Roxas behind him, despite the other boy’s non-verbal protests, and frowned at the empousa, trying his best to emulate his dad.

“You’re going to regret ever coming near us,” he warned her, but they all knew he was bluffing. She didn’t get a chance to reply to this comment, however, as the door was hit hard, and the knob was knocked clean off. It opened immediately and Giles rushed in to stand between the boys and the empousa.

“Alright, you bitch,” he spat, glaring furiously at the monster, who seemed genuinely taken aback. “You’ve played cat long enough. I think it’s time you took your turn as the mouse.”

The empousa snarled and threw herself at Giles, who nimbly leapt out of the way, much to the surprise of the twins. It was only then that they realized that their friend didn’t have a muscular disease. No, he had the legs of a goat. He knew how to use them, too, judging by the way he dipped and dodged every swipe the monster made at him. A knife, small but sharpened to a deadly point, appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and Giles slashed right across the empousa’s torso. It let out a surprised gasp. The momentary shock of being struck, and by a satyr, no less, was all Giles needed to finish her off with a swift slice across her scaly throat. As it fell to the ground, it began to disintegrate, and by the time it had landed, all that remained was a pile of gold dust.

Giles tucked the knife into a small sheath that was attached to his belt before turning to the boys.

“Are you okay? Oh, gods, I never should have left you alone, Chiron’s gonna kill me, not to mention Lord Grover-“

“We’re fine, Giles,” Roxas replied, his voice quiet and subdued. He was usually the quieter of the two brothers, but both were obviously shaken by the fight that had just taken place. Giles sighed and nodded.

“I’m sorry… I knew I smelled a monster, but I didn’t know who it was coming from until it was almost too late. I’m just glad I made it in time.” He shot a gentle smile at the two stunned boys. “I think there’s a lot that needs to be explained to you. Would your parent mind if I came over for a talk?” Sora and Roxas exchanged glances before returning their bright blue eyes to their friend.

“They… shouldn’t mind,” Roxas finally responded. Sora, for once, was the quieter of the two, and it concerned the satyr.

“Sora?”

“That… that monster… it was like the one Dad fought in Traverse Town…” Roxas nodded in agreement.

“Maybe he’ll…” Roxas began the sentence but left it hanging. Sora already knew what he was thinking.

“Probably…” his brother answered, and they both returned their attention to the satyr in front of them. He had a lot of explaining to do.

The ride home had been tense. A new bus driver had replaced the old one, but just as they did this morning, none of the other kids seemed to realize that she was different. Giles assured them that this bus driver smelled like licorice and old-person, but the twins were still on high alert until they crossed the threshold into their house.

“Dad?” Sora called into the doorway. “Are you home?” Cloud poked his head around the corner into the hall to see his boys standing there with… oh gods.

“No, but I am,” he answered warily. “Who’s your… friend?”

The twins looked between them at their friend, only to realize that Giles looked absolutely starstruck.

“Y-y-you’re Cloud Strife,” he stuttered, staring at the blonde man with wide eyes. “Son of Athena, slayer of the Nemean Lion!” Cloud rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“Cloud Leonhart, now, actually,” he corrected. “I’m guessing Chiron sent you?”

“Uh, yes and no,” Giles replied. “I’ve been keeping an eye on the boys for a while now, but… there was an incident today.” Cloud’s expression took on a darker tone and he nodded once.

“Come sit in the living room, boys,” he said. “We’ve got a lot to tell you. Your dad’s not going to be happy about this.” Roxas and Sora both hurried to the living room, gesturing for their satyr friend to follow when they realized that he was still standing in the hallway. Before the two sat, Cloud carefully examined them both to ensure they weren’t injured. He shot a grateful smile at the satyr. Giles seemed to choke on his own excitement.

“So, an incident?” Cloud prompted, sitting down in his armchair. The boys followed his lead and sat on the sofa beside Giles.

“An empousa attacked them,” Giles explained quickly. “I was able to defeat it, but there are going to be more on the way now that the boys are starting to understand just what they are.”

“And what are we?” Sora interjected, his eyes locked on his friend. Giles sighed.

“You’re the product of a relationship between a mortal… and a Greek god.” He was expecting disbelief. He was expecting screaming and crying and arguing. He was not expecting… whatever this was. The twins looked over to their father for confirmation. Cloud nodded solemnly.

“He’s telling the truth,” he confirmed. Sora and Roxas looked at each other for a moment, then back at their father.

“We’re… half god?” Roxas questioned.

“Demigods, half-bloods, heroes, these are words that are often used to describe… your circumstances. I’m not sure which god is your parent, but they must be one of the twelve Olympians for the monsters to be so insistent on killing you.” Sora squeaked at the word ‘kill,’ and Roxas leaned into his side to offer his brother comfort.

“It would be their father,” Cloud explained. “Their mother was also a demigod, a daughter of Dionysus.” Giles hummed and nodded.

“That might explain why their aura is so strong, to be born of a demigod and a god… it’s definitely rare.” He tapped his hoof anxiously. “What is your… relation to the boys?”

“I’m their father,” Cloud informed them. “One of their fathers, actually. Their other father should be coming home in about ten or so minutes.” Giles nodded again.

“Good,” the satyr answered. “He’ll probably want to know what’s going on. You do realize that they’ll have to-“

“We know,” Cloud interrupted, his voice firm. “We’ve known since the day they were adopted.”

They spent the next handful of minutes giving the twins a brief rundown on what, exactly, was going on. In essence, they learned that the Greek (and Roman) gods were real and still around, that they had moved to North America, that their fathers were both also demigods, and that the fighting they often did was against Greek monsters.

“I’m a son of Athena,” Cloud told his sons. “Do you remember which goddess she is?” The two had been very well educated regarding Greek mythology, if they could even call it that anymore, due to their fathers’ involvement with that world.

“Wisdom,” Roxas answered, just as Sora chimed in with “Battle strategy.”

“Both right,” Cloud told them with a small smile. “She’s also the goddess of weaving, and the patron goddess to the city of Athens.”

“What about Dad?” Sora asked.

“What about me?” Squall asked as he walked in and set his computer bag next to the sofa. He stopped and stared at Giles for a few seconds before looking at Cloud. “I wasn’t aware we’d be having… company.” Once again, the satyr was in awe.

“Squall Leonhart,” he acknowledged softly. “Son of Aphrodite, broke the stereotypes surrounding your mother’s cabin in the Second Titan War and the Second Giant War both, skilled swordsman, matched only by…” he looked over at Cloud, who was smiling, amused. “Cloud Str-Leonhart.”

“You hear that, Pretty Boy?” Cloud teased as Squall settled into the armchair next to Cloud’s seat. “You broke the stereotypes. Just like when you refused to-“

“Yeah, okay, I get it,” Squall cut him off, dutifully ignoring the little snicker that came from beside him. “What were you discussing when I walked in?” The easygoing atmosphere drained away near instantly. Cloud took Squall’s hand.

“There was an attack today, at their school,” Cloud spoke softly. Squall was silent for a moment. He turned his eyes to his boys, quickly giving them a once-over. “They’re completely fine, their protector ensured their safety.”

“So it’s time.” It wasn’t a question. Cloud answered anyway.

“We knew this day would come,” he reminded his husband. “We have to understand-“

“I know.”

“Would someone please tell us what it’s time for?” Sora requested, starting to get impatient. After another moment of tense silence, Squall spoke up.

“Go pack some things,” he instructed. “Like you do when we go visit Grampa. Take anything you’re going to need. We’ll explain on the way.” He glanced out of the window. The sun was inching its way closer to the west horizon. “Be quick, too.” Both boys obediently darted to their room, confused but trusting in their father. Squall sighed deeply.

“We can go visit on weekends,” Cloud suggested. “We’re demigods, too, remember? Besides, Chiron would probably be happy to see us.” Squall shrugged, but the reminder that he would still see his sons was obviously helping him somewhat.

“Things can never be peaceful, can they?” he asked, and Cloud smiled.

“Not around us.”

As Sora and Roxas began throwing things into their bags, they talked quietly.

“So, we’re… demigods?” Sora asked. Roxas shrugged.

“If Dad and Pa say we are… then I believe them.” Sora nodded in agreement. “Besides, it would explain some of the weird things that happen.”

“Yeah, you’ve got a point,” Sora agreed. “Like that thing with Jamie Olivier.”

“I still kind of feel bad about that,” Roxas admitted. “He was a bully, but he didn’t deserve to get sick like he did.”

“He’s probably better by now,” Sora reassured him. “And besides, you were only trying to protect me. I think it was really cool of you to help me like you did.”

“Thanks Sora,” Roxas said with a smile. Sora returned the smile full force.

“No problem, Rox,” he answered. “What else are big brothers for?”

“Seventeen minutes, So!” Roxas half-complained, half-teased. “Are you ever gonna let that go?”

“Why would I ever want to let such an important job go? Who else would you look at memes with?”

“Pa,” Roxas responded simply, and Sora let out a faux-insulted huff.

“Well, I’ve never!” He placed a hand flat on his chest, as if he were an eighteenth-century woman who had caught the vapors. “After all of these years, this is the thanks I get? I see how it is.” Roxas replied by throwing a pillow at his head, and Sora collapsed into a heap of giggles.

“Dad said to hurry, remember?” Roxas said, and Sora hit him with the pillow in retaliation before zipping up his duffel bag. Roxas went to do the same.

“Wait,” Sora stopped him. “Did you grab…?”

“No, let me just…” Roxas walked over to their dresser and pulled a scrap of fabric out. It was a deep purple, and the edges were singed black. “Okay, now we’re ready.”

With that, the two boys left their room, ready to head out to wherever their fathers had been alluding to taking them.


	3. Who Wants to Go on a RoAd TrIp???

The silence in the car was oppressive. Four demigods in one car (two at the age of twelve and two in their thirties) and a satyr created a veritable beacon to monsters, and the drive from Hollow Bastion, New Hampshire to Long Island, New York was expected to take at least five hours. It had only been one and everyone there was on edge. It felt as though they were being closely watched, although that could very well have been the instinctive paranoia talking.

The sun was still in the sky, and it gave Sora a strange feeling of calmness. He had always felt better in the sunshine. He and his brother often joked about conducting photosynthesis, but they really did sort of absorb the light of the sun. The knowledge that the sun was a chariot being flown across the sky was mind-blowing to Sora. He leaned against the car door and watched the scenery go by. It’s not like there was much to look at, just other cars and the side of the highway, but it was better than dwelling on the deafening quiet surrounding him.

Roxas, on the other hand, had his earbuds in. He was playing his music at a volume level that probably wasn’t good for him in the long run, but he felt he deserved a little bit of a treat. After all, that day had been beyond stressful already. His blue eyes were trained on his phone. When he realized that the gods were real, he had begun to conduct research. According to Giles, demigods weren’t meant to have phones, as they would broadcast the location of said demigod to all monsters within a five-mile radius. Roxas phone was supposedly special, though, something Squall had been given by an old friend, that he passed down in turn to his sons.

Roxas had found several different myths about both Aphrodite and Athena, and no two were the same. Some said that Athena had been born from Zeus’ head, and the origin stories of Aphrodite tended to be… disturbing. Of course, that was nothing compared to some of the myths surrounding Dionysus, god of wine and insanity. He didn’t know who would’ve come up with the “thigh baby” story, but he was certain that he never wanted to meet them. Still, he found it interesting to see all of the different interpretations of their stories, and he couldn’t help but wonder which of them were real. He had plenty of time. He could spend it learning about what was to come.

The car hadn’t stopped for more than a few seconds at a time since Squall started driving down a very familiar route. It had been a few years, but he still knew the way by heart. He had spent a good portion of his childhood at camp, and went every summer after he had been taken in by Cid. He remembered the last time he had been to camp, how chaotic everything was. The Romans were on the warpath, being led by some insane seer? Squall wasn’t too sure about exactly what had gone down, but he knew for a damn fact that it had been a disaster. And then after that, with Gaea… he’d rather not think about that.

He and Cloud had left the boys with Cid both times they returned to camp to aid in the war effort. When your old trainer and father figure shot you an IM, you didn’t just ignore it. He and Cloud were valuable assets to the Greeks, and while it was terrifying and brutal and bloody, both had also found fighting to be fulfilling. It helped them to release built-up frustrations and do some good at the same time. Some people said that catharsis was actually bad for you, but demigods tend to have at least some level of disregard for their own wellbeing. Squall briefly thought about the kid who lead them all in both battles: Perseus Jackson, hero of Olympus and one of his friends. He wondered how he was doing, if he was still at camp. He was a good kid, an excellent leader, and a powerful demigod.

Squall kind of hoped he would get to see some of the demigods he had met a few years back. They had all been really nice, and had put their all into the war effort. He was especially fond of his little half-sister. Piper seemed intent on following in his footsteps and breaking the mold for Aphrodite kids.

He was dragged out of his thoughts when he heard a dull thudding sound. The sound put him on edge, and he pulled to the side of the road quickly. Cloud immediately unbuckled himself and grabbed hold of the ring around his right ring finger. It silently transformed into a large bronze sword as he slid out of the car, and he held the weapon before him as he surveyed the area. He backed away from the car slowly. The last thing they needed was for their only vehicle to get trampled two hours out of Long Island. It had happened before, and he wasn’t really in the mood to repeat that particular experience.

Finally, the sound reached the edge of the woods that they were driving along, and in the dying light, Cloud saw two hellhounds running at full-pelt toward him. He took a deep breath, and as he let it out and the hounds closed in, he ducked under their bodies, slipping out from under them before they had a chance to trample him. He swung his sword quickly at the tail of one of his adversaries, just to catch its attention, and it turned around, just to receive a sword across the muzzle and down its chest. With a howl, it was reduced to dust, and then there was one.

It eyed Cloud warily, clearly nervous about the sword that had felled its brother. Cloud stood there silently, his cold grey eyes piercing into the hellhound’s gaze. Without warning, it charged again. It lifted a giant paw to swipe at his head, but he ducked and raised his sword in its place. The monster became angry as blood began to drip from its paw. It lunged in for a bite, but with incredible speed, Cloud sent his sword up into the creature’s gaping maw and through the back of its head. The monster was dusted, releasing his sword, and he twisted the pommel deliberately, turning it back into a ring. He slipped the ring back onto his finger as he climbed back into the car.

Squall said nothing, he just gave Cloud a quick once-over before he started driving. It had become the norm for them. They would drive a while, they would be attacked, whoever wasn’t driving would kill the monsters, they would continue on their way. There hadn’t been as many monsters as he’d expected, although that was certainly a good thing. It meant that Thanatos was doing his job properly and that the demigods had been out thinning the herds.

The rest of the ride went by in the blink of an eye. It was dark by the time they arrived at the hill. There had only been two more attacks on the way, one being a small pack of lycanthropes, the other a young hydra. Squall had been the one to take care of that one. It had only had three heads, and with his sword doubling as a gun, he was able to remove the heads and cauterize the wounds all at once.

Both of the adult demigods sighed in relief when they pulled up on the side of the (now dirt) road near the camp. They remained seated, though, and turned back to look at the three boys half-dozing in the backseat.

“We’re here,” Cloud spoke in a soft voice. All three boys let out groans of exhaustion and stretched out their stiff muscles. “Grab your stuff, boys, and we’ll head on in.”

The twins immediately grabbed their things and got out of the car, knowing that there would be somewhere to sleep wherever they were headed. Giles took a little longer, but he, too, got up and out of the car. Cloud locked it (he wasn’t sure if there would be any Hermes kids on any patrols coming by that area, and he didn’t want to take that chance) and the three set off up the hill to Cloud and Squall’s old home. They had arrived at Camp Half-Blood.

Squall gave Peleus a quick pat on the head as they passed, and the dragon purred in reply. The twins were amazed to see not only a live dragon, but a fleece that seemed to be… shining.

“The Golden Fleece,” Cloud informed them, and they were both astounded.

“The real one?” Sora asked, and Cloud nodded, smiling a little at the child’s excitement. “Woah.”

They immediately made for the large house that sat at the top of the hill. A handful of kids watched as they walked by, some calling out greetings to the older two demigods and others whispering about the new arrivals. The blue house wasn’t far from the pine that marked the entrance to the camp, so they made it there within a few minutes. Cloud stepped forward and knocked on the door.

“Yes, yes, I’m coming,” a voice came from inside. It sounded fairly tired, and maybe exasperated? Either way, the door opened to reveal an older-looking man sitting in a wheelchair. His eyes met Cloud’s, and he smiled broadly. “Ah, what a pleasure it is to have you back, my boy! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Squall stepped forward, and the man in the chair only seemed to become even happier.

“We wanted you to meet someone,” Squall explained with a tiny smile. “Or, rather, two someones.” He gestured for the twin boys to step forward, and they both cautiously followed their dad’s directions.

“Oh, are these…?”

“The twins,” Cloud affirmed. “They’ve grown up, haven’t they?”

“Into fine young men, I would say,” the man complimented, and the boys both blushed at the comment. “I am Chiron, young ones. I have met you before, but that was several years ago. I am the director of this camp, and I trained your fathers when they were your age.”

The front door slammed open, and a slightly charred boy rushed into the office, not seeming to notice the new arrivals.

“Chiron, Leo accidentally set the weapons shed on fire again!”

Chiron heaved a deep sigh and squared his shoulders.

“Accidentally, of course. Thank you, Malcom, I will go and see if Percy is already on it. You should say hello to your brother, while you’re here.” Without warning, Chiron stood from his wheelchair, his white body and haunches emerging from the enchanted device. He hurried out of the room, and the boy, Malcom, turned to look at whoever Chiron was talking about.

“Cloud?” he asked, and Cloud smiled a little and nodded.

“Nice to see you, Mal,” he greeted, and Malcom smiled back.

“Good to see you, too, man,” he replied, stepping forward to pat his half-brother’s shoulder. “How’ve you been?”

“Busy,” Cloud answered with a chuckle. “We’ve had our hands full with these two.” Malcom looked over at the twins and nodded.

“Yeah, they look like real troublemakers,” he joked, and Sora and Roxas both giggled a little at that.

“Sora microwaved a Capri Sun,” Roxas said, and Sora hit him in the shoulder.

“Stop telling people that!”

“If you didn’t want me to tell people that, you shouldn’t have microwaved a Capri Sun.” A warning hum from Squall was all that was needed to calm them down.

“Parent?” Malcom asked.

“Not sure,” Squall answered. “We have our suspicions, though. They might end up with Will and Kayla.” Neither of the twins were sure who Will or Kayla were, but the idea of staying with anyone other than their fathers was daunting. “You mean we aren’t staying with you?” Roxas questioned, his voice small. Squall was quiet. Now, it was really hitting him. Without the adrenaline rushing through his veins and the tension of being on a constant watch, he finally comprehended what was happening here. Cloud had to step in.

“No, we can’t,” the blond man answered. “We have to get back home soon. It’s too dangerous for you to be outside of the borders of camp right now. Once you two have learned some basic self-defense and weapons training, we’ll be right back here to take you home.” He didn’t say what he was thinking. The boys needed to learn a valuable lesson that he himself had learned at all too young an age. They needed to learn to be a little more independent, as much as it pained both men to think about it.

“You promise you’ll come back?” Sora spoke up, taking his papa’s large hand in his two little ones. Cloud bent down to his level and ruffled his hair affectionately.

“Of course,” he agreed. “Even Tartarus couldn’t keep me away from you.” Sora nodded, but Cloud could see that he was upset. He hugged the older boy, then pulled Roxas in beside Sora. “You’ll get to meet your siblings and lots of other kids just like you,” he told them. “Remember those stories I told you about the Titan War and the Giant War? The heroes who fought in those wars live here. You might get to meet one of them if you’re on your best behavior.”

“Really?” Roxas implored, and Squall couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped out.

“Really,” Squall stepped in. “Now, give me hugs, too, Papa and I have to go pretty soon. We have work in the morning. I promise, we’ll text you every day, and you can call any time you want. Rox, if something happens to your phone, find a man called Leo Valdez. He’s the one who modified it, and he can fix it for you.” Roxas nodded. He recognized the name from his dad’s stories.

“I’ll miss you, Dad,” he murmured, and Squall knelt down to hug his sons before standing up.

“I’ll miss you too, Rox. You too, Sora.” He quickly pecked Cloud on the cheek and whispered in his ear. Cloud nodded and turned his attention to his two sons, who promptly turned to embrace him tightly.

“Is Piper around?” he asked Malcom, who gave him a thumbs up. Without another word, Squall headed out to find his younger sister. He had to ask a favor of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there’s anything you think I could do to improve the overall story, my writing style, or anything you see here, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I would love to hear feedback about what the people reading this story want.


	4. Piper McLean is Best Aunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably say that chapter dumps like these won't be super common. I'm working on my masters degree, so I'm usually pretty busy, but I've had a lot of free time thanks to quarantine, so I've been looking over chapters I've written and posting what I have because it's been got dang ages. I hope y'all enjoy these, though.

Squall found his sister exactly where he had been expecting to find her at that time of the evening. It was seven, so she was at the campfire, sitting toward the back with her group of friends. Squall recognized the seven from the prophecy plus a handful of others. He thanked Fortuna that they were all at the back. The less awkward social interaction he had to deal with, the better. He walked up behind her, making sure to keep quiet, and spoke.

“Boo.” Piper squealed (a sound wholly uncharacteristic for her), drawing the attention of a few campers, but most were used to shouting and a general ruckus from the older campers in the back. Piper whirled around to snap at whoever had decided sneaking up on her was a good idea, but when her kaleidoscope eyes met his crystal blue, any non-complimentary words died on her lips in favor of a big smile.

“Squall!” she cheered, standing immediately. Squall quickly shushed her, shooting an anxious glance at the other half-bloods around them. Piper squashed down her excitement and nodded, standing up to walk to a more secluded area. Jason and Leo both looked up to see why she was getting up, but when they saw her brother, they both smiled and waved a little. Squall half-smiled and nodded in greeting before following Piper off to the edge of the woods, somewhere that was essentially abandoned during the campfire.

“Hey, Pipes,” he greeted her quietly, and she punched him on the shoulder.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?” she asked, her smile making her faux-anger that much less effective. “How long are you staying?”

“We didn’t plan on coming, actually,” Squall admitted with a shrug. “There was an incident with Sora and Roxas at school. They got attacked.” Piper’s excitement gave way to concern.

“Oh my gods, are they okay?”

“They’re fine, both of them,” Squall ensured her. “We just decided… that it was time. It wasn’t safe anymore.”

“Yeah, I get that,” she replied with a sympathetic smile. She patted him on the arm. “So I’ll finally get to see them again, yeah?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Squall prefaced. “Cloud likes to make fun of me for being a bit of a… mother hen… and while I resent that, I really do worry about them. Sora and Roxas are both smart boys, and good at making friends, but this is going to be their first time spending more than a few nights away from us.”

“You want me to keep an eye on them?” Piper surmised, and Squall hummed in affirmation.

“Make sure they aren’t getting bullied, help them to feel welcome, show them around a little, maybe let them know that they have someone in camp that they can rely on?” he said. “I don’t know… I just want them to have someone here that can make sure that they’re doing well, and I trust you.”

“Aww, that’s sweet,” Piper teased. “Of course, I’ll keep an eye out. They’re my precious little nephews.” Squall’s relief was palpable, and Piper huffed a little laugh. “You know, Cloud is right. You do worry too much. It’s not a bad thing, though. You’re just showing your Aphrodite a little.” Squall’s scowl made Piper smirk. “Oh come on, it’s not that bad.”

“I am a solid block of emotionless celestial bronze,” Squall claimed, squaring his shoulders. “I feel nothing and know no love.” A few seconds passed before Piper couldn’t help but laugh. Squall laughed along with her, relaxing his posture again. “If I have to channel any of Mother’s aspects, I’m glad it’s platonic, familial love.”

“And Cloud,” Piper added, and Squall rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, and Cloud,” he conceded.

Cloud sneezed, startling his brother out of his conversation with the shy twins.

“Sorry,” he muttered, sniffling. “I hope to the gods that I’m not getting sick. That’s the last thing I need.”

“You still sneeze like a kitten,” Malcom teased him, and Cloud smirked.

“Mm-hmm,” he hummed in agreement, “and you get the hiccups any time you drink something carbonated.” Malcom flushed a little and turned away, pouting.

“Low blow,” he mumbled, and Cloud chuckled quietly. He turned back to the twins. “Your Papa is so mean to his little brother,” he complained. Roxas gave him an understanding nod.

“Uncle Mal is a baby,” Cloud responded.

“Sora is really mean to me, too, sometimes,” he agreed, much to Sora’s dismay.

“I am not!” he shouted, pouting. Cloud nudged both boys and gave them each a meaningful look, and they calmed down. Moments later, they heard the front door open and two voices, one extremely familiar and one that the boys swore they had heard before, could be heard. The owners of the voices walked into the office, and both boys turned their full attention to them.

“And then he came out of the cabin absolutely seething,” Piper said, stepping into the office. “His hair was bright red. He never expected us to turn the tables on him.” Squall chuckled.

“Serves him right,” he commented. “Connor really had it coming, what with all of the trouble he’s been causing since Travis left for school. Nico texted me just last week about Con pushing Drew out onto the lake on an air mattress.”

“Ah, yeah,” she said, recalling the prank. “That one was great. She was livid, chased him and Cecil around camp for an hour.” She turned to see the four guys already standing in the office and smiled brightly. “Oh my gods, are these two really Sora and Roxas? You two have gotten so big!” Sora and Roxas seemed confused and stuck close to Cloud’s legs.

“Boys, do you remember Christmas when you were about six?” he asked, and they nodded after a few minutes. “Remember the lady who came over to visit us?”

“Aunt… Piper?” Roxas guessed, and Squall nodded. Piper beamed, beyond happy that her nephew still remembered her.

“Yep. This is Aunt Piper.” Sora was the one to break away from Cloud’s leg first. He walked forward curiously to greet his aunt.

“You were the lady who gave Rox and me our toy swords, right?” He remembered those toys. He and Roxas used to spend hours trading blows, and sometimes their fathers would even step in to help them use the toys properly.

“That’s me,” she replied with a nod. “I hope you liked them. I designed them myself.” Sora smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah!” he exclaimed. “Rox and I played with them all the time! We still have them in our room at home.”

“So you were the person who Dad comes to visit sometimes?” Roxas asked. The question confused Piper. Squall didn’t visit all that often at camp. She glanced over at her older brother, who subtly nodded his head.

“Uh, yeah, he does,” she answered. “Hey, Cloud, how’ve you been?”

“Killed some werewolves a little earlier,” he informed her nonchalantly. “That was fun. You?”

“Got to waste Percy during Capture the Flag the other day,” she recounted. “Jason and Nico were both on blue team.”

“Sounds like a good time,” he remarked, and she nodded. “I’m guessing you’ve been recruited to show the boys around a little?”

“You’d be right,” Piper agreed, then glanced back down at the twins. “Your Dad and Papa are going to have to get going soon, but I’ll give you two the grand tour in the morning, if you’d like.” Both boys agreed, but their eyes lingered on their fathers. Squall couldn’t help but bend down to give each boy another tight hug.

“Be good, okay?” He ran a hand through Roxas’ hair, then Sora’s. “I don’t want to hear any complaints from Mr. Chiron. If you need anything, ask Aunt Piper. You should be claimed by your father soon, and once you are, you’ll get to stay with your brothers and sisters. You can go to them for help, too, and Chiron.”

“Okay, Dad,” Sora murmured into Squall’s shoulder. Roxas just nodded silently. Squall slowly forced himself to pull away. Cloud placed a gentle hand on both boys’ heads and smiled. He had already had his ‘goodbye talk’ with them, before Squall returned.

“Love you guys,” Cloud said softly, and the boys both smiled up at him.

“Love you too, Papa,” they replied, their voices merging into one.

“Come on, guys,” Piper encouraged them, gesturing toward the door. “I’ll take you to your cabin for the night and introduce you to the leader.” The boys shot glances back at their dads all the way to the door, and then they vanished around the doorframe.

Cloud wrapped an arm around Squall’s shaking shoulders, shooting him a little smile.

“You gonna be okay, Mama?” he asked, and he laughed quietly when Squall shoved him.

“Come on,” Squall spoke, dragging Cloud toward the door. “We need to get on the road before my second thoughts take over.”

Piper didn’t really expect the boys to each take one of her hands, but she certainly didn’t mind. Her surprise must have shown on her face, because Roxas answered her unanswered question.

“Sor and I can’t see good in the dark,” he explained.

“See well,” Sora corrected him.

“Yeah, that,” Roxas agreed.

“That’s okay,” Piper reassured them. “I’m happy to help.”

The three walked toward the omega of cabins together quietly, and both boys knew that although this situation was new and kind of scary, as long as they had each other, they would be okay.


End file.
